Fire-escape



n ModeI L. .BAUMEISTER.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented Mar 13, 883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

LEOPOLD BAUMEISTER, CF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 274,080, dated March 13,1883. Application filed January 31, 1883. (No model.) Patented in Germany J nly 2,1877, No. 361.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, LEoPoLn BAUMEISTER, a citizen of Gaggenau, Baden, Germany, residing at Bridgeport, in. the county of Fair.- field and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire- Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the'art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements 'in that class of devices known as fire-escapes, and has for its object to afford such a device as shall be simple and economical, while at the same time it is espe; cially adapted for the most trying circumstances; and with. these ends in view my invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter fully described, and then specifically designated by the claims. it

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may understand fully how to make and use my improvement, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure l is an end view of my improvement; Fig. 2, a section taken ato'c w of Fig. 3 Fig. 3, a side elevation, showing a belt or harness attached; Fig. 4, a plan view of the cas Fig. 5 shows the several parts in operative position, with the disk and back plate removed; Fig. 6, a central vertical section, showing the method of attaching the grooved pulley to the disk; and Fig. 7, a central vertical section through the points z z z of Fig; 1.

Similar letters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

' The back plate, C,is adapted to receive adisk,

E,from the under side of which projects a cylindrical hollow interiorly-threaded barrel, F, and swiveled or otherwise secured tothis barrel in such manner as to rotate freely is a grooved pulley, G, all of which will be hereinafter fully explained.

N is acam-lever pivoted through the plates B C and operating on the casing A, ashereinafter explained. Between the upper and lower surfaces of the grooved pulley Cr and the plate B and disk E respectively are pieces of felt, or any other suitable material,

as seen at a a, Fig. 7, which serve to prevent excessive friction, which is a great hinderance in devices of this description, especially when the contiguous parts are nickel.

In assembling the several parts of my improvement I place the plates B C in a position relative to the casing A in such manner that the screws (1, securing said plates, will pass through the openings I J in said casin g, the effect being to allow avibration of the easing, which of course is governed by the diameter of said openings. I preferably pass these screwsd through sleeves 0, placed in the openings I J, which practically increases the interior diameter of the screws, and it will be readily understood that I can limit the vibration of the casing by using a sleeve of greater or less thickness ofgage. The cam-lever N is pivoted, as seen at e, in such manner that the projecting lugf will operate upon the side of the casingA so as to cause the same to vi brate, as hereinbefore set forth. The real pivotal point of said casing is at P, where the plates B C are secured together by a screw which passes through the casing snugly, so as now inserted within the passage H and looped around and within the grooved pulley G. The latter is then placed in position within the casing, and the thumb-screw K, operating within the threaded barrel F of the disk E, thereby firmly secures the latter to the back plate, 0.

The end of the rope nearest the cam-lever is secured in any way at the point from which it is desired to escape, and the other end left free to dangle to the ground, as will bereadily understood by reference to Figs. 3 and 5.

Q, is a hook having forked projections R at its heel end,de signed to extend above and below the plates B O, and fastened pivotally thereto by a screw, as shown.

S is a spring-guard pivoted to the hook, as seen at g, Figs. 1 and 2, and which completely closes the hookopening, and is connected with one end of acoil-spring, h,the other end being secured to the shank of the hook in such manner that the said spring is compressed by the opening of the guard, and the latter is thereby automatic in closing. A belt or harness of any desired style or shape is secured at its free end within the hook Q, as seen at Fig. 3, the spring-guard Sobviating all danger of the dislodgment of said strap from the book.

In the application of my improved fire-escape the rope is fastened at the upper end, i, in any suitable manner, at the point from which the descent is to be made, the lower end,j, being left free to dangle to the ground. The belt or harness is now secured to the operator. The said belt being secured to the hook Q, the weight of the operator would notof itself affect the pivoted casing A at the lower bearing around the opening J, but all the strain comes on the upper hearing at the opening I, which forces the casing upward, thereby compressing the rope firmly between the serrations a in said casing and the \l-groove It in the pulley G, and rendering it perfectly secure as against slipping. By simply depressing the lever N the cain-lugfacts-against the casing A and forces it down, thereby releasing the rope and enabling theoperator to descend. It will be readily understood that the force of said bite of the serrated casing against the rope depends upon the weight attached to the hook Q, so that the rope will not slip anymore freely when operated by a heavy person, or when twoor more are descending, while at the same time the speed of descent may be regulated by the cam-lever N, which causes the serrated casing to hear more or less against the rope, and the descent ceases as soon as said lever is released.

In the disk E are holes or depressions T for the purpose of affording finger-supports, whereby the said disk may be turned conveniently in assembling my improvement. It is desirable in devices of this class that the working parts are such as shall not become detached, inislaid, or lost in the manipulation, and accordingly I have secured the disk E as against such displacement by means of a chain, L, and stop M.

One of the great advantages of my device is thatthe wear on the rope is comparatively little, since the grooved wheel G turns freely, and the serrations are not of such a nature as to cut the rope.

Prior to my invention fire-escapes of all descriptions have been in use; but the great majority of these are so complicatedin their construction and adjustment as to be nearly unfit for use in cases of emergency, especially when the operator is inexperienced.

No difficulty need be met with in using my improvement, since the manipulation bt' the cam-lever is very simpleandits action positive.

Itwill be readily understood that the serrations hereinbefore mentioned may also be cast in the groove of the pulley; but I preferably omit them, as the action of the serrations in the casing is sufficiently positive.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters as herein shown and described.

5. The disk E, having the pulley G, swiveled thereto, in combination with casing A and lever N, substantially as shown and described.

6. The disk E, with interiorly-threaded projection F, and pulley G, swiveled thereto, in combination with the casing A, having serrations a, and lever N, substantially as shown and described. I

7. The disk E, with pulley G, swiveled there,

to, and adapted to be secured within the easing A and to the plate 0 by the thumb-screw K, andstop L, substantially as set forth.

8. The lever N, pivotedv as shown, in combination with the vibrating casing A, having serrations a, and the pulley G, whereby the rope is confined as against slipping, substantially as shown and described.

9. In a fire-escape, in combination with the casing A B U, constructed as described, the spring h, secured at one end in the hook Q and at the other to the guard S, whereby the hook-opening is kept closed, as set forth and described.

10. The pivoted casing A, with openings I J, serrations a, and gating H, in combination with the lever N and pulley G, swiveled to the disk E, substantially as hereinbefore shown and described.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LnoPoLn BAUMEISTER.

'Witnesses J ULIUs DEISER, RUDOLPH Kosr. 

